CTEL CTEL Language Structure and Linguistics 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which type of morpheme cannot stand alone as a word and must be attached to a base or root?
- Free morpheme
- Bound morpheme (Correct answer)
- Lexical morpheme
- Content morpheme
Correct answer: Bound morpheme
Bound morphemes like prefixes and suffixes must attach to a root and cannot stand alone as independent words.
Question 2: In the word 'unhappiness,' how many morphemes are present?
- 2
- 3 (Correct answer)
- 4
- 5
Correct answer: 3
The word 'unhappiness' contains three morphemes: un- (prefix), happy (root), and -ness (suffix).
Question 3: Which phonological process occurs when a sound becomes more like a neighboring sound?
- Deletion
- Assimilation (Correct answer)
- Metathesis
- Epenthesis
Correct answer: Assimilation
Assimilation is the phonological process by which a sound takes on features of an adjacent sound, making them more similar.
Question 4: What does the term 'diglossia' refer to in sociolinguistics?
- The ability to read in two languages
- The use of two distinct language varieties for different social functions (Correct answer)
- A speech disorder affecting bilingual individuals
- Code-switching between two languages in a single sentence
Correct answer: The use of two distinct language varieties for different social functions
Diglossia describes a situation where two varieties of a language (High and Low) are used in a community for different social contexts.
Question 5: Which of the following is an example of a derivational morpheme?
- -s (plural)
- -ed (past tense)
- -ness (forming a noun) (Correct answer)
- -ing (progressive)
Correct answer: -ness (forming a noun)
Derivational morphemes like -ness change the word class or meaning, while inflectional morphemes (like -s, -ed, -ing) indicate grammatical features.
Question 6: In syntax, what is a 'garden-path sentence'?
- A sentence with a clear, linear structure
- A sentence that misleads the reader before requiring reanalysis (Correct answer)
- A sentence containing only function words
- A sentence that follows SOV word order
Correct answer: A sentence that misleads the reader before requiring reanalysis
Garden-path sentences initially lead readers down an incorrect parse before they must backtrack and reanalyze, revealing how syntactic processing works.
Question 7: Which term describes the study of how context influences the interpretation of meaning in language?
- Syntax
- Morphology
- Pragmatics (Correct answer)
- Phonology
Correct answer: Pragmatics
Pragmatics examines how context, speaker intent, and social factors shape the meaning communicated beyond the literal words.
CTEL CTEL Language Structure and Linguistics 2
Which type of morpheme cannot stand alone as a word and must be attached to a base or root?